This regularly scheduled column is written by Eli Tucker, Arlington-based Realtor and Arlington resident. If you would like to work with Eli and his team in Northern Virginia and the greater D.C. Metro area, you can reach him directly at[email protected].
This year’s July 4th fireworks show on the National Mall will set the world record for the largest fireworks display ever, with 860,000 fireworks planned (we normally see 17,000-20,000) over a 40-minute display of explosions and light.
If you can’t bear the thought of dealing with traffic, crowds, and tourists to watch the fireworks, you can buy a private or semi-private view from about a dozen different condo buildings in Arlington.
This week, I’m highlighting Arlington condo buildings that offer the best views of DC fireworks, either from the privacy of your own unit/balcony or a shared rooftop.
Buildings With Exceptional Views from a Shared Rooftop
Built in 2021, Pierce boasts the highest price per square foot of any building in Arlington, earning its premium with a spectacular rooftop terrace and pool, a penthouse-level owner’s club, two-story gym, and private elevator access to select residences. The units are some of the largest available condos in Northern VA, spanning 1,300-2,400 square feet, ranging in price from about $1M-$4M.
Pierce rooftop includes DC views, pool, grills, and fireplace
Built in 2021, 2000 Clarendon is one of Arlington’s newest condo buildings and offers residents a large rooftop terrace, a rooftop social room, and gym. Most of the units here are one or two bedrooms, with some offering an additional den, and range in price from about $550,000 to $2M. (more…)
This regularly scheduled sponsored column is written by Carolanne Korolowicz, Arlington-based Realtor and Arlington resident. If you would like to work with Carolanne in Northern Virginia and the greater D.C. Metro area, you can reach her directly at [email protected].
There is something special about establishing a home within walls that hold history. Arlington consists of a handful of late 19th-century houses, but few have helped shape a community like Glencarlyn’s 5501 3rd Street South. Coming soon to the market, a new owner gets the opportunity to continue this property’s story.
(Photo Courtesy of Pauline Leonard, Long & Foster Real Estate)
Nestled within the Historic Glencarlyn Neighborhood, surrounded by parkland, this Late Victorian home was once the community’s educational epicenter. In 1892, The Village Improvement Association (now the Glencarlyn Civic Association) approached Alexandria County School Board requesting a grade school for the hamlet During this time, the lack of childhood education had become an issue for the community, with many neighborhood children never receiving proper schooling. The School Board proved unresponsive, so families banded together to pay Mrs. William King to teach out of her home — 5501 3rd St. South. The schoolhouse grew quickly with an estimated fifteen children, ages six to twelve, attending Mrs. King’s class. By 1894, the School Board was persuaded to finally pay a teacher’s wage ($25 a month) if they furnished a new schoolroom, motivating the village school to move out of Mrs. King’s home. Though a short-lived location, 3rd Street was the catalyst for Glencarlyn’s public education. (more…)
This regularly scheduled column is written by Eli Tucker, Arlington-based Realtor and Arlington resident. If you would like to work with Eli and his team in Northern Virginia and the greater D.C. Metro area, you can reach him directly at[email protected].
Question: What areas of Northern VA have the most and least expensive new construction homes?
Answer: The biggest and most expensive new builds in Northern VA are in Great Falls and Mclean. Prince William County offers the most affordability, along with the most house and land for your money.
The following data is based on MLS sales of new construction detached homes in Northern Virginia from 2025-June 1 2026.
Great Falls, Mclean, and Everybody Else
The small town of Middleburg is the only city with an average new home price over $3,000,000.
Dumfries and Bristow are the only Northern VA cities where the average new home costs less than $1,000,000
The average price for a new home in Vienna is $22,000 higher than Arlington
How Big Are New Homes?
Most new homes throughout Northern VA come in around 5,000-6,000 finished square feet
Mclean (8,450) and Great Falls (8,700) average nearly 2,000SF more than homes in Vienna, the city with the third largest average new home
Despite having significantly more room to build, homes in Loudoun County and Prince William County are constructed with a “modest” 4,800 finished SF
On average, 5,700 finished SF in Northern VA is filled with 5.4 bedrooms and 5.1 full bathrooms
If Yard and Privacy Matter the Most
The average new home in Prince William County sits on nearly 2.7 acres and provides new home buyers with the lowest cost per acre for a new home
Privacy in your new home is hard to come by in Arlington, Ashburn, Brambleton, Dumfries, and Bristow with average lot sizes under 0.2 acres
Great Falls (1.69) and Oakton (2.07) are the only jurisdictions within Fairfax County with an average lot size over one acre
In Northern VA, the average new home is built on 0.84 acres
This regularly scheduled column is written by Eli Tucker, Arlington-based Realtor and Arlington resident. If you would like to work with Eli and his team in Northern Virginia and the greater D.C. Metro area, you can reach him directly at[email protected].
Question: How does home value appreciation vary in Arlington by property type?
Answer: The Arlington VA housing market has appreciated by an average price of 49% and a median price of 39% over a ten-year period, but that appreciation is not evenly distributed across all property types.
Detached Homes Appreciate Over 60%
Those who spend the most on a home benefit from the highest appreciation rates, with detached home appreciation of 60%+ over the course of a decade, and new detached homes appreciating the most of any property type, at 65%.
Condos Appreciate 1-2% Annually
The worst performing category over ten years in Arlington is the one-bedroom condo, with appreciation close to 1% annually and just 15% over ten years. Two-bedroom condos perform moderately better, with an average annual appreciation closer to 2% at 28% over ten years.
Townhouses are the Goldilocks Property Type
More expensive than condos and less expensive than detached homes, townhouse/semi-detached properties fall right in the middle of cost and ten-year rate of appreciation, coming in at 40% over ten years. (more…)
This regularly scheduled column is written by Eli Tucker, Arlington-based Realtor and Arlington resident. If you would like to work with Eli and his team in Northern Virginia and the greater D.C. Metro area, you can reach him directly at[email protected].
Thank you to all who have served and to the families who have sacrificed or lost loved ones for our freedom. I hope you and yours have a special Memorial Day weekend with friends and family to celebrate our country and those we’ve lost defending it.
The Eli Residential Group donates annually to Arlington-based TAPS (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors) in honor of Memorial Day. Since 1994, TAPS has provided comfort and hope 24/7 to those grieving a death in the military or veteran community, through a national peer support network and connection to grief resources, all at no cost to surviving families and loved ones.
If you are interested in donating to a great charity this Memorial Day, TAPS is a four-star rated charity on Charity Navigator with 87.5% of funds raised going towards program expenses.
Eli and his team believe that your real estate needs should be managed by advisors, not salespeople. Their mission is to guide, educate, and advocate for their clients through real advice, hands-on support, and personalized service.
This regularly scheduled sponsored column is written by Carolanne Korolowicz, Arlington-based Realtor and Arlington resident. If you would like to work with Carolanne in Northern Virginia and the greater D.C. Metro area, you can reach her directly at [email protected].
I’ve always heard my grandmother saying she was from Barcroft more often than saying she was an Arlingtonian. Though a niche distinction, for those from there– it’s an important one. When she tells stories of her upbringing, it is always painted like a Norman Rockwell scene. She speaks of farmettes, relatives living next door, days on the playground and a community truly caring for one another. As I started my Barcroft research, outside of just generations of familial stories, it was hard to take in all of the information to write a concise article due to every happening, resident and home being documented with great importance. Whether a neighbor started a business or went to go visit their cousins in the country, the community took a genuine interest.
(Donna Lee (Kirchner) Wilson, my grandmother, with the 1948 Barcroft Community Quilt, 2009)
The early settlers of Barcroft considered themselves pioneers headed west. Post-Civil War, real estate developers saw investment opportunities in Northern Virginia. With (relatively) easier access to Washington due to advancements in transportation, these subdivisions were heavily advertised to city folk looking to escape to the “country air”. There was an early, and overall unsuccessful, attempt to subdivide the land that makes up modern-day Barcroft by Frank Corbett. In 1886, he hired surveyors to lay out a 40-acre subdivision amongst his 162-acre farm, believing the existing train station nearby would be a popular selling point. However, his lots failed to sell. The issue was that he made the tracts too large, pricing out the demographic looking for these properties—middle-class, federal workers. After his death in 1897, a new developer swooped in on the purchase of his remaining lots, starting Barcroft’s second wave.
Original Columbia Pike Bridge over Four Mile Run
In 1903, Abbie Galt Fox purchased the balance of Corbett’s property. She partnered with her son-in-law, Stephen Prescott Wright, to help subdivide, manage and finance the “new” Barcroft. As the lots began to sell, Barcroft expanded both north and to the east. Apartment complexes began to emerge alongside Columbia Pike. The rural village over the next couple of decades would start to become the neighborhood we recognize today.
First Issue of The Barcroft News, 1903
What is unique in Barcroft’s timeline is that a strong sense of community emerged as quickly as the new developments. In June 1903, a young resident, Eddie Haring, took it upon himself to print the first official Barcroft News. The newsletter was compiled of personal news (similar to someone making a Facebook status today), neighborhood updates, opinion pieces and letters to the editor. One in particular really shows the hope and pride residents had in their new hamlet: (more…)
This regularly scheduled column is written by Eli Tucker, Arlington-based Realtor and Arlington resident. If you would like to work with Eli and his team in Northern Virginia and the greater D.C. Metro area, you can reach him directly at[email protected].
Question: How common is it for a home sale to fall through once it’s under contract?
Answer: According to a recent study, 70% of sellers fear that buyers will back out of the deal before it closes. How often do real estate transactions actually fall apart?
Arlington, Northern VA Buyers Are Committed
Since 2019, less than 10% of real estate contracts fell through in Arlington, compared to 26.3% in Prince George’s County.
Just 11.4% of Northern VA real estate contracts didn’t make it to closing, as opposed to 13.8% in Montgomery County MD and 15.2% in Washington DC.
Spring Buyers Are More Committed
Homes that go under contract during the spring market are more likely to close than those that sell later in the year.
In Northern VA, just 9.6% of homes that go under contract in April fall through, but December contracts fall through 12.8% of the time; 12% more than average.
This pattern of fall-through rates follows a similar pattern of best and worst times to go to market for sellers. February through May often produce the best results for sellers in speed and price metrics, it also gives sellers the best chance at getting to the closing table.
Seasonal fall-through rates across the entire DMV market follow a similar trend as Northern VA, but the average fall-through rate increases 4-5% when you include DC and Maryland suburbs. (more…)
This regularly scheduled column is written by Eli Tucker, Arlington-based Realtor and Arlington resident. If you would like to work with Eli and his team in Northern Virginia and the greater D.C. Metro area, you can reach him directly at[email protected].
Question: Does the cost of renting a home in Arlington increase at a similar rate as the cost of buying a home in Arlington?
Answer: The cost of renting and buying a detached home increases at a similar rate, but the cost of renting a condo has outpaced the cost of buying a condo.
Condo Rents Rising Faster than Condo Prices
Since 2020, the cost of renting a detached home in Arlington increased at a similar rate as the cost of buying a detached home; 26% and 28%, respectively.
However, the cost of renting a condo increased significantly faster than the cost of buying a condo; 21% and 6%, respectively.
Sale Price to Rental Rate Multiple Shifts with Interest Rates
The table below shows the average price and $/SF of buying a detached home or condo relative to the average annual rent for a detached home or condo, in Arlington. Higher multiples show that buying is becoming more expensive relative to renting.
Takeaway: Condo buyers are more rate sensitive than detached home buyers and are more likely to rent (higher rental demand = strong condo rent appreciation) than buy (weakened purchase demand = low condo value appreciation) when interest rates increase. Notice how quickly the sale price to rental rate multiple drops from 2020/2021 to 2022/2023 (rates skyrocketed spring/summer 2022). (more…)
This regularly scheduled column is written by Eli Tucker, Arlington-based Realtor and Arlington resident. If you would like to work with Eli and his team in Northern Virginia and the greater D.C. Metro area, you can reach him directly at[email protected].
Question: How has the local real estate market performed so far this year?
Northern VA, Arlington, and Washington DC Absorption Trends (demand)
Northern VA, Arlington, and Washington DC Inventory Trends (supply)
Washington DC List Price Trends (market values)
Northern VA & Arlington Inventory is Being Absorbed Faster
After four straight quarters of double-digit decreases in year-over-year absorption, the Northern VA and Arlington markets saw a ~8% increase in absorption rate.
What this means: Demand increased in Q1
Northern VA & Arlington New Listing Volume is Declining
After a promising trend of six straight quarters of year-over-year increases in the number of homes listed for sale in Northern VA, new listing activity fell by ~1% each of the previous two quarters.
What this means: Sellers have less competition, buyers have fewer choices
Washington DC Condo Absorption is Plummeting
The absorption rate for DC condos has declined year-over-year for 16 quarters straight and 23 out of the past 26 quarters.
What this means: It is difficult to find buyers for DC condos
Washington DC Condo Inventory Declined Slightly
Total inventory declined by 3.4% year-over-year, the first quarterly drop since Q4 2023. Still, there were great than 2x more condos for sale in DC in Q1 2026 than Q1 2020
What this means: Motivated sellers must compete aggressively with each other for buyers
Washington DC Condos Keep Getting Cheaper
The average price of a DC condo listed for sale is 9.4% less than it was in Q1 2025 and ~9% less than it was ten years ago.
What this means: Even lowering the price won’t guarantee a buyer
If you’d like to discuss buying, selling, investing, or renting, don’t hesitate to reach out to me at [email protected].
We have access to the most pre and off-market listings across the DMV of any brokerage and are happy to share what’s available with anybody who asks.
Below are some of our team’s pre/off-market listings, details and additional listings available by request:
Westover – 4BR/2BA/2,000sqft – Detached Single Family (2000) – 23rd St N Arlington VA 22205
Green Valley – 5BR/4.5BA/3,000sqft – Detached Single Family (2020) – 24th St S Arlington VA 22206
Ballston – 4BR/3.5BA/2,400sqft – Townhouse (2008) – N George Mason Dr Arlington VA 22203
Ballston – 4BR/3.5BA+office/4,000 sqft – Four Townhouses (2026/2027) – 11th St N Arlington VA 22201
Rosslyn – 2BR/2BA/1,800sqft – Condo (2021) – 1781 N Pierce St Arlington VA 22209
Williamsburg – 6BR/5.5BA/5,500 sqft – Detached Single Family (2026) – 27th St N Arlington VA 22207
Yorktown – 6BR/6.5BA/6,000+ sqft – Detached Single Family (2026) – N Greencastle St Arlington VA 22207
Eli and his team believe that your real estate needs should be managed by advisors, not salespeople. Their mission is to guide, educate, and advocate for their clients through real advice, hands-on support, and personalized service.
This regularly scheduled sponsored column is written by Carolanne Korolowicz, Arlington-based Realtor and Arlington resident. If you would like to work with Carolanne in Northern Virginia and the greater D.C. Metro area, you can reach her directly at[email protected].
As Spring peaks, Northern Virginia features flowering azaleas, dogwood canopies, and pesky dandelions. Manicured lawns flaunt along neighborhood streets, and Mother Nature continues to outshine in parks, trails and the spaces in between.
Home to a plethora of flora and fauna, Virginia has a long history of impressive grounds. The “Mother of Presidents” could also tack on, “and Their Gardens.” Many of these impressive natural displays are publicly accessible, but many of these gardens rooted in history are found at private residences. The Garden Club of Virginia (GCV) devotes an entire year of planning and preparation for their signature event, Historic Garden Week, to give the public a peek behind the fence.
Photo Courtesy of The Garden Club of Virginia
The annual event is divided by region and tours span over the week (April 18–25). Northern Virginia kicks off in Old Town Alexandria this Saturday from 10:00 AM–4:00 PM. Tickets include tours of five rowhomes’ grounds, admission to Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens, and complimentary refreshments. (more…)
This regularly scheduled column is written by Eli Tucker, Arlington-based Realtor and Arlington resident. If you would like to work with Eli and his team in Northern Virginia and the greater D.C. Metro area, you can reach him directly at[email protected].
Question: Can you explain the latest news about partnerships between brokerages and websites like Redfin and Zillow for pre-market inventory?
Answer:
The fight over listings has shifted from theory to reality. Major brokerages, portals, and platforms are actively reshaping where listings appear, what data is shared, and who controls it. For buyers and sellers, the biggest risk isn’t who wins, it’s what gets lost if the market becomes fragmented.
This regularly scheduled sponsored column is written by Eli Tucker, Arlington-based Realtor and Arlington resident. If you would like to work with Eli and his team in Northern Virginia and the greater D.C. Metro area, you can reach him directly at[email protected].
Question: How many different real estate agents are doing business in Arlington?
Answer: There were 2,317 real estate transactions in Arlington last year, totaling $2.136B in sales volume, increases of 6% and 8.4%, respectively, over 2024.
There were 2,116 licensed real estate agents involved in at least one sale in Arlington in 2025, compared to 2,058 in 2024. Each transaction usually includes two real estate agents – one representing the buyer and another representing the seller. (more…)
